Walk Two is great at this time of the year. Many of the trees are covered in fresh buds (we used to call them sticky buds as kids). There are catkins on many of the bushes. The paths are fairly dry just now. If it stays dry this weekend it's worth doing. Click here for step-by-step directions for Walk Two.

« Last Edit: February 02, 2006, 04:55:05 pm by David Brewer »

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We did Walk Four today and it's a pleasant 45 mins walk without rushing. The section of path between the farm and the Beehive pub needs a bit of upkeep. There are no stiles and you have to negotiate one farm gate, but it is easy to push open. The final stretch back to Little Berkhamsted has been sectioned off as a bridle path and, although dry and firm now, could probably become muddy after rain. Walk Four has the benefit of a pub at the start and finish and one half way round. The bridge, pictured below, is in Buck's Alley Wood. Click here for directions for Walk Four or, if you want to see all the 12 walks in this series, click here.

« Last Edit: February 07, 2006, 03:45:04 pm by David Brewer »

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The Brookmans Park Newsletter has been supporting the village and our local community since 1998 by providing free, interactive tools for all to use.

The lower part of the bridlepath on Walk Five has been repaired (the section near where there is the red Walk Five written on the map below), making it much easier to walk and far less muddy. There are still a few puddles, but you can get past them. The walk is a really good stretch with a good length of the route uphill. Well worth putting the boots on.

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Re the direct path from Hawkshead Road into Gobions Wood - we went there again today (good hard underfoot in the frost). The exit from the field into the wood is still closed, though people are clearly using it. There's a helpful notice just inside the wood, saying that careful walkers are welcome in Gobions Wood, but that the fence belongs to the Royal Vet, and use of their land should be agreed with them.

The path appears to be open again and well used.

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The Brookmans Park Newsletter has been supporting the village and our local community since 1998 by providing free, interactive tools for all to use.

For all those who work from home or are retired and able to walk during the week, here is a walking tip.

If you fancy a walk to Wild Hill, there is an excellent bus service (the 201) which will bring you home.

It runs from Wild Hill, to Brookmans Park on Tuesdays and Fridays.

There are only two buses a day, so you need to be spot on with your timing, but, if you plan your walk (and drinking) well, you can catch the 13.44 from Wildhill getting to Brookmans Park village by 13.59.

The Royal Veterinary College (RVC) has confirmed that an unofficial short cut to Gobions Woodland Trust land from an RVC field is NOT a permissive route. The college is urging walkers not to stray from the official path.

Some walkers taking Footpath 11 (FP11) north west from Folly Arch across RVC land have been turning right, just after a crossing point between two fields, in order to access Gobions.

In fact, so many seem to be doing this that the right turn appears to be the main route, with the official FP11 hard to make out as it continues its way across two fields.

This site looked into the right-of-way issue after being sent an article which has been published on the website of a local walking group and which claims that the RVC had "granted permissive rights over the spur path to Gobions Wood". But the RVC denies the claims and repeated that walkers do not have permission to take the short cut.

I was very interested to see that the unofficial path from the RVC through Gobions has gained attention again as it did in the 1970's! The RVC tactic in those days was to put a sign up saying 'You are going the wrong way! You are trespassing!' This didn't work - someone took the signs down! The next tactic was to place rolls of barbed wire in the fence or be threatened by a very grumpy farmer in a green Landrover who would scream the riot act! In retaliation, someone kept cutting the wire! After about six months continually repairing the fence the style miraculously re-appeared! The RVC finally gave up! Lets face it, what harm is it doing? - a few hundred yards short cut or walk a mile. Its obvious which path people would take. Long live the style and all who clamber over her!

Check out the 28 June Minutes (item 14d) of North Mymms Parish Council (www.NorthMymmsPC.ukf.net). NMPC queried the temporary closure of this stile and received a reply from the RVC on the lines set out in the main article on this topic. The RVC asked if NMPC would support a diversion of this footpath through the wood as being the preferred route for most walkers. A letter of support has been sent to the RVC but it will take a long time for the process to happen.

Is it me or is it relatively easy to get lost in Gobions Wood? That way, Walk Ten seems much longer than 5 miles. Could the instructions be more clear? There are actually several local nture reserves in the area and Gobions wood is not clearly defined. Along the narrow path, do you go across the field, or do you completre ignore this path and go through the dry stream?

It seems very overgrown on other parts of the walk. I am not complaining, just pointing out.

moggins

Myself and the wife thought we would take advantage of the lovely evenings we've been having recently,so went out for a walk.Unfortunately we discovered that whereas last year we were able to use a footpath running from the Warrengate Farm past the small cottages (with old tractors in front back garden) to a small copse of trees on a small hill . If memory serves me right one footpath took you along the river towards Water End and one took you to the field where Gordon the horse was resident, Tonight though it looks like these signposted footpaths have gone under the plough, could I ask someone on this forum how to get this situation rectified, it is still possible to get to water end by walking right along the edge of the field but this is fraught due to the large clods of earth left littered over the surface by the errant ploughperson.Can you feed a ploghman his luunch. (very bad pun)